“I bring my experience as an educator, I know when teaching and learning is taking place, I know when it’s not taking place. I know when there’s a dog and pony show and when there's really teaching and learning going on,” Briers said.

“My heart beats for the children and we gotta [sic] just get away from the norm, we have to change. If you want to change parents you need to make a change. If everything wants to be the same, then keep what you got,” said Grant, the Republican challenger.

Grant has her sights set on fixing failing schools and tackling budget issues.

“I don't think children should ever wonder about paper towels, crayons. I think that a budget should be a budget. I think that we should live with a budget,” said Grant.

The Republican says MPS should have enough money to do what it needs to do.

“It just never gets down to the classroom the way it should get to the classroom. It’s meant for the classrooms, it’s not meant for salaries and politics,” cautioned Grant.

The Republican and Democrat do see eye to eye on one thing: Serving on the BOE is about the kids.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about me, it’s not about the board, it’s not about the Governor, it’s about our children,” said Briers.

“This is about our children, politics concern the Montgomery County Board of Education way too much,” said Grant.

District 4 includes 12 schools in Montgomery with about 10,000 students.